Process of distilling oil in presence of comminuted carbonaceous fuel



1,641,305 S 1927' w. E. TRENT -PROCESS OF DISTILLING OIL IN PRESENCE OF COMMINUTED CARBONACEQUS FUEL Filed Nov. 4, 1 920 2 Sheets-Sheet l h lvweutoz m Sept. '6, 1927.

w. E. TREN PROCESS OF DISTILLING OIL IN PRESENCE OF GOMMINUTED CARBONACEOUS FUEL Filed Nqv. 4-. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 awwntoz Mir/1e, 521-611;-

Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER EDWIN TRENT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO TRENT PROCESS CORPORATION, OF WASHHVGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A COR- IORATION OF DELAWARE.

PROCESS OF DISTILLING OIL IN PRESENCE OF COMMINUTED CARBONACEOUS Application filed November 4, 1920. Serial No. 421,715.

The invention relates to a process for treating oils mixed with finely comminuted carbonaceous material. a,

It is an objectof the invention, to crack oils and recover the same in a form having a higher light volatile content and to accomplish this at temperatures below those em ployed in the present cracking processes. This is made possible by having the hydrocarbon oil filmed over the surfaces of the finely comminuted coal or other carbonaceous material. L

It has been discovered that oils when mixed with coal can be vaporized and condensed at temperatures lower than the temperature It has also been found that the volatile content of the coal pulverized to this fine degree when filmed with oils, will distill at I ing fraction oil.

a lower temperature than the coal when treated by itself, and will likewise produce an oil having" an increased yield of low boil- In application Serial Number 363,797, I disclose a process of purifying materials. This case relates to forming a fuel amalgam of oil and finely divided carbonaceous content of coal, from which amalgam water and impurities are rejected. In application, Serial Number 361,230, I disclose the formation of this fuel amalgam and the recovery therefrom of the oil used in making the amalgam and further collecting the volatile oils of the finely divided coals. In carrying out the practice of distilling this fuel amalgam, it was observed that the oils, in addition to bein recovered, were recovered in a new condition, that of having a much higher gasoline and light oil fraction than when first used to form the amalgam. It was also observed that the fuel amalgam distills at lower temperatures than either the oil or coal when either is distilled by itself, and third, that the fuel residue can be.

produced either as dry carbonized fuel powder or coke without having any sticky or binding hydrocarbon residue from the oil.

In carrying out the process for an increased yield of light oils from both oil and coal, the oil and coal, in the form of an This process is not in any sense one of fractionating the lighter hydrocarbon of the oil, and leaving the heavier hydrocarbons with the carbons. The oil is either completely distilled or is so cracked that any carbon residue remaining isin the form of dry dust, or powder, which is collected with the carbonized particles.

The invention therefore contemplates the distillation of coal and oil for the recovery of light oils at low temperatures with increased ields, it also being an object of the pr ess to carry on this distillation and avoid leaving as a residue any sticky or adhesive semi-liquid hydrocarbon either from the oil or the coal, but to substantially con- 8 vert them to hydrocarbon oils for several purposes. First, to obtain a maximum yield of oil of a light and higher grade quality, and second to produce a carbon product free from binding substances so that the carbon,

after treatment, is collected as 'fine carbonized particles, approximately the same size or smaller than were mixed with the oil. It has been found that by distilling such a mixture and stirring or agitating the same during distillation at temperatures not to exceed 350 (1, the fixed carbon residue is collected in the form of fine powder, which is desirable for use for pulverized firing. This is true, even in the case of coking coals, which under ordinary conditions, when distilled alone, will form a coke instead of powder. Of course if a coke residue is required, this can be obtained'by increased temperature either with or without agitation.

In the accompanying drawings T have shown a retort for conducting my process in a continuous manner, in which Figure 1 illustrates a view of the appartus with parts in section. v

Figure 2 is a detail view of the internal rotating drum with one of its rabbles in section. 3 I

Figure 3 is a detail view; and,

Figure .4 is a view of the condensing and recovering apparatus.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts, thenumeral 1 designates a retort, which may have a casing composed of any suitable material sufficient to resist the necessary heat temperatures, and having a hopper 2 communicating therewith through which material is introduced to the retort. The hopper is provided with a feed conveyor 3, rotated by means of meshing gears 4 and 5, operating through the medium of the gear 6, chain 7, and gear '7, on shaft 7 which shaft is driven by any suitable source of power by the gear 8, driven by the pulley9.

Arranged within the retort'l and spaced from the outer wall thereof is a tube 10 preferably of cylindrical form, and providing between the walls 1 and its outer surface a-heating jacket 11. The cylindrical tube receives a hollow rotating shaft 12v having bearings 13 and operated by the l'pulley 9 hereinbefore described. This shaft carries a series of paddles or rabbles 15 arranged thereon spirally, the paddles being hollow and having cavities 16 therein receiving a heat producing medium, such as products of combustion or steam. The paddles are disposed at a slight pitch, as clearly shown in Figure 1, for the purpose of agitating and slowly moving the material introduced to the retort forwardly for a purpose which will later appear.

The retort is heated b products of combustion produced from urning' a combustible mixture introduced to the interior of the hollow rotating shaft 12 by the burner The products passing through the shaft and into the cavities 16 of the paddles 15 are then conveyed through the conduit 17 in communication with the shaft to the jacket 11 disposed around the tube. The

heated products then pass forwardly giving off their heat to the .material undergoing treatment adjacent the rotating shaft 12, and then into the jacket 11 so as to heat the exterior of the tube 10, the products finally discharging through the conduit 13'.

In following my process, the material undergoing treatment, which may be comminuted coal and hydrocarbon oil in proper proportions are introduced to the hopper 2 for delivery to the interior 11 of the tube 10. Instead of raw coal, I may employ the purified carbonaceous content of coal in a finely divided state, which is a product of 'the process disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 363,7 97 From this hopper the mixed material is conveyed to the interior of the tube 10 which constitutes the treating zone and the shaft 13 revolved;

The maximum temperature of the tube is maintained at approximately 300 to 350 (1, and the. material passed through the retort by the action of the rabbles 15 is maintained in a constant state of agitation and subjected to a destructive distillation during its passage. If the coal containing a hydrocarbon content is distilled with the oil, the vapors from both coal and oil pass out through the discharge pipe 18 into a condenser 19, while the carbon residue which con- 22, and discharged through a pipe 23. The

condensed oils, tar and the like in the chamber 19 are collected through the pipe 24, while the uncondensed vapors pass on through a pipe in the condensing coils 26 disposed within a condensing chamber 27, and then to a third condensing chamber 28 surronded by the water containing receptacle 29 having feed and discharge'pipes 30 and 31 respectively. In this chamber the con'densible vapors are condensed and recovered through the collecting pipe 32 in the form of oils, tar, etc. It will be appreciated that some of the constituents removed from the coal and oils are in the form of fixed gases and these fixed gases pass on from the condensing chamber 28 through the pipe 33 into the scrubber 34, which may be of the usual type passing through this scrubber and then through a pipe 35 into a second scrubber 36, being finally discharged through a pipe 37 to a suitable container for subsequent treatment or use. The scrubber removes any tars and oils which may be [carried by the fixed gases and these substances are collected from the scrubbers 34 and 36 bythe pipes 38.

As has been previously stated, I have distilled in the presence of comminut'ed coal,

covered that where hydrocarbon oils are dis- L say in the proportion of 1 part oil by weight to 2 parts coal by weight, the condensed oils are in a form having a higher no i light volatile content than the oil before treatment, and also the quantity of oil is increased.

I have also discovered that when hydrocarbon oils are distilled in the resence of comminuted coal, the vaporization of the volatiles takes place at'considerably lower temperature than when the volatile content of either of the-material is volatilized separately. I have successfully treated the material at a temperature of 350 0., which results in a cracking of the oils and the volatiles of the coal, leaving dry carbonized particles free of any oily or binding residue.

It will be observed that the material assing through the retort does not come d1rect- 'ly in contact with the heating gases or a mass of plastic consistency, consisting in continuously advancing such mixture through a distilling zone, in mechanically agitating the material while the same 18 a vancing through the heating zone, in heating the mixture whilepassing through said zone by heatin gases maintained out of direct contact with the advancing materials,

in separately discharging the evolved gases from such material and the residue at the same end of the heating zone, and in maintaining the temperature throughout the heating zone sufliciently low to prevent a substantial fusion of the residue particles and to permit a substantial cracking of the evolved volatiles. I

2. The method'of distilling a plastic material consisting of oil and pulverized coal of a plastic consistency, consisting in continuously advancingsuch material through a retort, in mechanically agitating the material while the same is traveling through such retort, in heating the material to a distilling temperature by the indirect a plication of heating gases passing through t e retort, and

in separately discharging the evolved gases from such material and the residue after passage through the retort.

3. A continuous materials, consisting in introducing a plastic mass of coal and Oll to a distilling zone, in passin in a closed conduit heating gases throng said zone, in continuously advancing around the surface of the closed conduit the plastic mass of coal and oil to absorb heat radiating through the walls thereof to vae 05 porize t volatiles and roduce a carbonized residue, in agitating t e material during its travel around such conduit, and in separately discharging the evolved volatiles and the residue from treatment in the retort.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. I I

WALTER EDWIIN TRENT,

process for distilling 

